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5222 DOCUMENTS OF THE GENERAL FACULTY FIFTH REGULAR MEETING OF THE FACULTY COUNCIL FOR 2006-2007 The University of Texas at Austin Monday, January 22, 2007 Main Building, Room 212 2:15 P.M. ORDER OF BUSINESS I. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY (D 5200-5205) — Sue Alexander Greninger. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES. A. Minutes of the Faculty Council Meeting of October 16, 2006 (D 5208-5221 ). III. COMMUNICATION WITH THE PRESIDENT — William Powers Jr. A. Comments by the President. B. Questions to the President (see appendix). IV. REPORT OF THE CHAIR— Linda L. Golden. V. REPORT OF THE CHAIR ELECT — Douglas C. Burger. VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS. A. Motion from the Faculty Grievance Committee (D 5191-5194) — Mary Steinhardt (committee chair, professor, kinesiology and health education). B. Motion from the Faculty Welfare Committee (D 5183) — Martha F. Hilley (committee chair, professor, music). C. Natural Science Requirement of the Core Curriculum for all Undergraduate Students at UT Austin (D 5189-5190)— David Hillis (Educational Policy Committee chair, professor, integrative biology). VII. REPORTS OF THE GENERAL FACULTY, COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS, AND COMMITTEES. A. Report from the Information Technology Committee — Desiderio Kovar (committee chair, associate professor, mechanical). B. Report from the Office of Undergraduate Studies — Paul Woodruff (dean). C. Report of the ad hoc eCIS Committee — Janet Staiger (chair, professor, radio-television-film). D. Report of the Intercollegiate Athletics Council for Men — David Fowler (chair, professor, civil engineering). E. Report of the Intercollegiate Athletics Council for Women — Mary Steinhardt (chair, professor, kinesiology and health education). F. Report from the Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics (COIA) — Michael Granof (professor, accounting). VIII. NEW BUSINESS — None. 5223 IX. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND COMMENTS. A. Each Standing Committee should elect a "chair-elect," as provided in the revision of the rules and regulations by the Faculty Council last spring: "During the first half of the spring semester the voting members of each committee shall elect a chair elect, who shall assume the office of chair on the first class day of the following fall semester for a term of one year. Faculty members of the committee whose terms of service extend through the following year or who are eligible for reappointment to the committee are eligible to be elected as chair elect. A chair elect whose term of service does not extend through the following academic year will be reappointed for an additional term." B. General Faculty Standing Committee nominations are scheduled for January 29 through February 16. C. The Standing Committees should submit reports for action by the Faculty Council at the February and March meetings no later than February 1 and March 1, respectively. D. General Faculty At-Large Elections, nomination phase, are scheduled for February 26 through March 9. E. Joint Meeting of the Texas A&M Faculty Senate and the UT Faculty Council, held at UT on March 5. F. General Faculty At-Large Elections to the Faculty Council, final phase, are scheduled for March 26 through April 6. G. The Faculty Council annual photograph will be taken on April 16 at 2:00 p.m. on the south steps of the Main building, immediately preceding the Faculty Council meeting. X. QUESTIONS TO THE CHAIR. XI. ADJOURNMENT. Sue A. Greninger, Secretary The Faculty Council Distributed through the Faculty Council Web site on January 18, 2007. Copies are available on request from the Office of the General Faculty, WMB 2.102, F9500. 5224 Appendix Questions to the President Faculty Council Meeting January 22, 2007 Thanks for the opportunity to submit questions for the President. The following are four questions that I would like to ask the President: 1. Where do you want to see the University in five years? What would you like your legacy to be? 2. What assumptions do we have to make to get there. For example, what kind of resources will be required and who should pay for them? 3. What kind of efficiencies will be necessary to control tuition increases? How do we ensure equal access to the University if tuition continues to increase? Should we expect more support from the State? What is your prognosis? 4. How do we improve the process to internationalize the University and educate our students about the present and future impact of globalization on their lives and on the country. Thanks, Sol Salomon Stavchansky, Ph.D Alcon Centennial Professor of Pharmaceutics The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy Division of Pharmaceutics PHR 4.214C Austin, Texas, 78712 Voice: 512-471-1407 Fax: 512-471-7474 email: stavchansky@mail.utexas.edu Questions for the President pertinent to the January FC meeting and the reports of the athletics councils. 1. In regard to the the tax-deductibility of mandatory skybox suite and club seat rental fees (a matter being investigated by the House Ways and Means Committee of the US Congress), at the last faculty council meeting (Monday December 11) President Powers stated that UT Austin could not unilaterally tell those who pay these fees that they cannot claim IRS deductions for them. Is it possible for the University of Texas at Austin to make the following simple and truthful statement? Individuals can then decide what to do on their own tax returns. "We have determined that rent charged for sky boxes is rent and not a voluntary contribution to higher education. Likewise compulsory fees for club seats are compulsory fees and not voluntary contributions to higher education." After all, Vice President Ohlendorf said about the club seats that are made available to deans:  "...[E]ach  academic dean at UT was given the opportunity to pay  face value for four club seats to use for entertainment  purposes when the east upper deck expansion to the stadium opened. Members of the public would be required  to pay a donation of approximately $20,000 annually  for this privilege, but this fee has been waived for  the deans since this program began."  FC Minutes, February 20, 2006,  D 4450 This means that these are mandatory, i.e., non-voluntary, fees. 5225 2. What is an "auxiliary administrative fee"?  What is the history behind the $1.2 million dollar annual auxiliary administrative fee athletics pays to the University?  How was this odd specific amount determined?  What is this money used for on the academic or administrative side? Do other units of the University besides athletics pay 'auxiliary administrative fees' to the University? IN RE:  FC Minutes February 20, 2006  4449 http://www.utexas.edu/faculty/council/2005-2006/minutes/min022006.html Vice President  Ohlendorf said athletics pays approximately $1.2 million  annually as its auxiliary administrative fee to the University. 3. What is the status of the Longhorns Foundation in relation to the University? Is it a non-university, non-public institution? What is the rationale behind its existence? Respectfully submitted, Tom Palaima, classics